Updated

Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Jul 16

Prisma Health Treated 81 Measles Patients, 73% Unvaccinated, in South Carolina Outbreak

Updated

Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Jul 16

Prisma Health Treated 81 Measles Patients, 73% Unvaccinated, in South Carolina Outbreak

Q: Can a measles infection actually erase a child's immunity to other dangerous diseases?

Yes. Measles can cause what scientists call “immune amnesia,” meaning the infection can damage or erase part of a child’s existing immune memory to other germs. The virus targets immune cells, including memory B and T cells that help the body recognize infections it has already fought or been vaccinated against. Research cited in recent reporting and prior studies found measles can erase roughly 20% to 75% of a person’s preexisting immune memory, leaving children more vulnerable to other illnesses for two to three years after they recover. That matters because the danger from measles is not only the rash and fever. In the South Carolina outbreak, Prisma Health reported that 24 patients developed other infections such as pneumonia, ear infections and sinusitis within a month of measles diagnosis, and two patients suffered measles encephalitis, a severe brain inflammation. Those complications fit with the broader medical understanding that measles can weaken the immune system well beyond the initial infection. This effect is tied to measles infection, not the vaccine. The MMR vaccine prevents measles and does not cause immune amnesia. Two doses are highly protective, generally about 97% to 99% effective. So the short answer is that a measles infection can indeed strip away some of a child’s protection against other dangerous diseases, which is one reason doctors view measles as far more serious than a routine childhood illness.

2 articles · Updated · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Jul 16

Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital treated 81 measles patients from October 2025 to April 2026, with most cases in children 10 or younger during South Carolina's recent outbreak.
At least 73% of those patients were unvaccinated, mirroring a statewide pattern in which 93% of the 997 reported cases were among unvaccinated South Carolinians.
Thirteen patients—10 children and three adults—were hospitalized, mainly for dehydration, respiratory problems or pneumonia; two had prolonged stays because of measles encephalitis.
Within a month of diagnosis, 24 patients developed concurrent or subsequent infections, most commonly pneumonia, otitis media and sinusitis.
The outbreak was concentrated in the Upstate, especially Spartanburg County, where MMR vaccination coverage stood at 88.9%, below levels typically needed to curb measles spread.

Sources

University of Minnesota Twin Cities1d ago

Prisma Health Treated 81 Measles Patients, Mostly Unvaccinated Children, During South Carolina Outbreak

Medpage Today1d ago

Studies Document Brain Swelling, Sepsis in U.S. Measles Outbreaks | MedPage Today

With cases at a 40-year high, has the U.S. permanently lost its 'measles eliminated' status?

Can a measles infection actually erase a child's immunity to other dangerous diseases?

After a costly outbreak, why might lawmakers still hesitate to strengthen vaccine requirements for schools?

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2 total

University of Minnesota Twin Cities1d ago

Prisma Health Treated 81 Measles Patients, Mostly Unvaccinated Children, During South Carolina Outbreak

Medpage Today1d ago

Studies Document Brain Swelling, Sepsis in U.S. Measles Outbreaks | MedPage Today

Prisma Health Treated 81 Measles Patients, 73% Unvaccinated, in South Carolina Outbreak

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